One Man's Treasure
by Merith
Summary: The pilots gather to help Duo pack up his stuff in preparation for a move, and find more than they imaged.


Title: One Man's Treasure

Warnings: none

Pairs: none (gen)

Notes: Written for Cait by her request, something to show 'packing up to go away' prompt.

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**One Man's Treasure**

They had started early, but by late afternoon, the living room had barely been touched, and there were still four more rooms to pack, not counting the kitchen. Quatre looked up from the "object de art" (as Duo called it) he'd carefully wrapped in tissue and bubble wrap. He was hot and tired, sweaty with dusty smudges and newsprint on hands and fingers and a spot on his cheek no one had told him about yet.

"Duo," he began, knowing he was sounding peevish but no longer caring. "I will pay _you_ to let me pay for a packing and moving service." The room stilled, and three sets of eyes swung to their friend; none held their breath, knowing what the answer would be, but hoping for a change anyway.

"Not necessary," Duo replied, continuing his sort to keep and discard task. Though, the other four believed more of the 'keep' items should reside in the 'discard' pile.

"This is going to take the rest of the week, if you keep taking things that should have been thrown out _years_ ago…"

Duo glanced over at Quatre, frowning. "I never said you had to help."

"That's not what he means, Duo," Heero cut in, finishing taping a box with a sharp jerk. "We are all more than willing to help you pack – and move – but, you have fifteen years worth of—" he froze, and his words halted abruptly. His eyes rose to meet Duo's, and he looked away.

"Junk," Wufei supplied, adding his now packed box to the stack along the wall. "I can confirm that this box contains nothing but junk – trash, old receipts, matchbooks, and a…" his lip curled, "dried out fruit pit."

"Duo—" Quatre began only to be cut off.

"It's not junk! Not trash!" Duo insisted, jumping to his feet. "Everything in here means something."

"No one's saying it doesn't." Trowa was there, a hand soothing on his shoulder. "But…"

"No, no buts." Duo twisted away from Trowa's hand. "See this?" He thrust a scuffed and cracked Frisbee in Trowa's face. "See!" He demanded of the rest of his friends, holding the disk high enough for them to see what he held. "Do any of you know why I keep this? Even knowing every one of you would toss it out?" His lips were drawn tight, his mouth hard.

Trowa shot a look to Quatre, then to Heero. Both shrugged, even as Wufei shook his head. Heero stepped forward, and reached for the Frisbee, taking it gently from Duo's hand. He turned it over in his hands, and ran a finger over the chipped and faded paint adoring its face. Finally, he looked up and shook his head.

"I don't know. Why do you keep this?"

"Because," Duo said softly, ducking his head. "It was the one we used when we all drove up to Banyon's Lake. Bought it at the market there when we got sodas and sandwiches for lunch."

His brows drawing together, Quatre slowly got to his feet. "That was years ago… the summer after the war…"

"Fifteen years ago," Heero cut in. "Relena's vacation retreat, and we all wanted to get away."

"And someone suggested a swim…" Wufei added, coming closer.

"Duo did," Trowa said quietly. "Heero and I were responsible for procuring transportation…"

"And you left me the job of distracting Relena from our real plans," Quatre interjected with a grimace.

"Geesh, buddy. You're still holding a grudge about that?" Duo asked with a grin.

"You didn't have to listen to her talk endlessly about her plans for renovating the gardens!"

Heero laughed, and tossed Quatre the Frisbee. "I noticed you were out there helping her and the gardener with landscaping ideas the next day though."

"Even with a sunburn." Trowa smiled, and slipped an arm about his shoulders.

"Duo," Wufei called his attention solemnly. His tone sobered the lightening air, and all four turned his way. "I… understand the Frisbee. But, some of these items—" his hand waved vaguely at the "keep" pile.

"Okay," Duo conceded, but bent and pulled out a rolled up piece of paper. Unrolling it, he held it out to Wufei. "Remember when we had lunch at that hole-in-the-wall place waiting for word from the hospital when—"

"When Relena was in labor with our first," Wufei concluded. His hands shook, taking the placemat from Duo's hands. He smiled wistfully at the scrawl of names penned over its surface, each one more ridiculous than the last. "I remember."

Quatre looked at the pile at their feet, at the boxes stacked against the wall, at the small cluster of objects waiting to be wrapped, and packed. He thought of the rooms still untouched, and the shelves each contained, the hidden boxes and trunks. Some of the items housed familiar if only vaguely, most objects attributed to Duo's peculiarity of collecting 'scrap'.

"So many memories," he murmured.

Picking up another piece of "junk", Heero held it out for Duo to identify. "Tell us about them. Remind us," he asked softly.

And the five friends settle down around the neatly stacked pile of throwaway items, and listened as Duo shared his collection of memories.

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End file.
